Review: Dragon's Heart Picks

I blame my niece, Faith, for getting me into this, because she loves dragons, and anything with “dragon” in its title attracts my interest, because I’m trying to be a good uncle who aids and abets her youthful fascinations.

I blame my niece, Faith, for getting me into this, because she loves dragons, and anything with “dragon” in its title attracts my interest, because I’m trying to be a good uncle who aids and abets her youthful fascinations. But, this time, it’s Faith who helped me out, because I love these Dragon’s Heart Picks, and I’ve been using them every since we received a care package from the inventor, Corey Bell.

I didn’t think it was going to turn out this way, though.

At first look, the design and shape put me off, and I assumed there was no way I’d ever be able to keep these suckers firmly grasped in my fingers. But they are actually quite comfortable and secure to hold, and pick drops are no more frequent than with conventional picks. Made of a polyamide-imide material, Dragon’s Heart Picks ($6 to $23 direct, depending on type and quantity) produce a nice firm snap on strings—awesome for picking harmonics—and deliver a clear and articulate attack that’s not overly bright. The three different edges were developed by Bell because molding each pick is costly—the material has to be kept hot for 19 days—and he decided to maximize options in one pick, rather than make several models. His favorite edge—and mine—is the bottom one, though also I dug getting varied effects by switching to the rounded or pointed edges. Picking speed and accuracy does appear to “pick up” as you get more accustomed to the grip and edges. Even better, my bashing and aggro attack tends to shred most picks in one rehearsal or gig, but I haven’t felt the need to change out the Dragon’s Heart in two-week’s worth of rehearsals, gigs, and sessions. It’s definitely worth following Faith’s lead here, gang, as these picks are awesome.dragonsheartguitarpicks.com